Troll Hunting Crush
by Annabelle536
Summary: Summary: Astrid first saw him in the woods with his father hunting trolls, well he was, his father was trying to teach him how to fish, and as hard as Astrid tried she couldn't help but feel something funny for this strange, weak, scrawny boy that brings disaster where he goes.


Troll Hunting Crush

Summary: Astrid first saw him in the woods with his father hunting trolls, well he was, his father was trying to teach him how to fish, and as hard as she tried she couldn't help but feel something funny for this strange, weak, scrawny boy that brings disaster where he goes.

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Everything was calm in the woods as Astrid weaved in and out through its tall green trees that brought shade onto its soft dirt covered ground.

She knew she wasn't allowed into the woods alone for 2 sole reasons; One for being only 8 years old, and Two because of the dragons.

No matter how many times Astrid was told to stay out of the woods she found herself all the more drawn to exploring its mysterious and dangerous depths.

She couldn't help it, it was the child instinct that when told NOT to do something by a grownup, you just want to do that all the more that before.

Honestly if the grownups told the child they could do that forbidden act than the child wouldn't want to do whatever the grownup forbade. It was like a calling really to annoy the adults. It's every child's goal at that age. Mock the authority.

She didn't come out into the woods because she wanted rebel against her parents and the chief's rules but when you know Snotlout and the Twins...you just want some time to yourself where you could just think.

Astrid couldn't help but feel that no one understood her in the whole island. She enjoyed the peace and quiet, the feeling of adventure, of learning new things, of being able be alone sometimes when she really needed time just to think about the things in life. She wanted to feel like life was a constant adventure and learning new things where no other would dare to try and learn, she wanted to feel appreciated and respected. But most of all she wanted to feel free.

Free to be able to think, to be herself, to explore new things without being limited by the danger (dragons), without having to constantly looking behind ones back for anything life threatening (dragons), and of course to love.

Never in a million years would Astrid admit to ANYONE that she actually wanted to fall in love. Maybe it was because she was 8 years old wanting to find that special person that she would want to share all these feelings and thoughts with and not have them mock her but to understand from where she was coming from

Really it was nothing more than mere wishing because she knows it would most likely never happen. It's hard to find something like that but according to some of the elder women on the island once you find it...you just know.

Its times like these where she just needed peace and quiet to think about the thought running through her young mind without having Snotlout trying to flirt with her' the twins not trying to kill each other, Fishlegs bothering her with his extensive talking about his knowledge on dragons (which was annoying back then too), and of course having to hide whenever a dragon attack happens (which happened regularly back then too).

Astrid sat down on a broken down log on a small hill that looked over some of the forest.

With a sigh she tilted her head up to look at the deep blue sky. It was rare that they have sunny days on Berk. For 9 months it rains and the other 3 months it hails, there's not many days where they have days as sunny as it was today.

Most Vikings like to practice their fighting techniques against dragons, others like to go out and fish, some even like to participate on old Vikings games.

Luckily everyone was too busy having fun to pay attention to her as she slipped away from the celebrating Vikings and into the peace and quiet that the forest brought to her. Today the tribe decided to just have fun while some went fishing by the shores.

Astrid closed her eyes enjoying the silence while it lasted because she knew it would be the last time she had this much peace for a while. Thank you dragons and Vikings alike for your need to be loud.

"Hiccup get back here!"

With a annoyed growl Astrid opened her eyes and came back to face reality and deal with the person who just disrupted her peace and quiet.

If it's Snotlout I'll kill him and feed him to the dragons! Astrid thought to herself as she got off the log and moved to follow the noises of what appeared to be someone running and something splash in water.

She marched a little off from where she was into a clearing where a pond was. Astrid has been to this pond before; it's where very few Vikings came to fish when they wanted to avoid the crowded fishing areas in Berk. It offered great fish that's for sure. It was probably one of the many small ponds in the forest, the problem is where to find them and keep them a secret from the other Vikings. Some can get rather territorial and some even stubborn (a common Viking trait) in not sharing their fishing place.

However what she saw made her anger disappear and get replaced by fear as she hurriedly ran behind one of the many trees that surrounded the large pond.

There standing beside the pond, holding a stick the Vikings used to catch fish one at a time, was the chief.

Chief Stoick.

He'll be furious with Astrid if he caught her in the forest...alone...without adult supervision...or anything to protect her from the dragons.

However he looked occupied yelling at a boy that was looking for something. At least that's what it look like he was doing.

Astrid had to hold in a groan.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll.

He was around her age but honestly he looked younger due to his small size, and his scrawny self.

But if she was being honest to herself Astrid would admit that there was something...different about Hiccup than the rest of the boys in the tribe.

He was always so, so, so...Hiccup.

Really there was something about Hiccup that just made him...Hiccup.

Astrid just didn't know what words to use to describe him.

He was always kept in where Chief Stock and Gobber could keep an eye on him, either in the workshop where Gobber worked as a black smith and had Hiccup as an apprentice (which in Astrid's eye was confusing and dangerous considering he couldn't even go one day without almost killing himself or anyone really) or in the Chief's house where Chief Stoick could keep an eye on him too.

Really Astrid just found it strange that someone as small as Hiccup could cause so much trouble. It seemed every time he stepped one foot outside of his house something was bound to go wrong.

He always managed to set something on fire, break something, one time he managed to bring down half the village with a simple swing of an axe (how he got to carry will forever be a mystery to her, since so sometime he struggled in lifting the hammer he was supposed to use on the job), as it turns out that swing set off a chain of reaction that caused the destruction of half the village

Hiccup just was full of surprises.

Astrid admired how Hiccup was able to take the laughs, the horrible pranks some of the boys around the village pulled on him, one time they sneaked into his house during the night and scared the living daylights out of him by waking him up dressed as a dragon, let's just say that caused him to have an...accident. Not that Astrid could blame him, the morning however proved to be a challenge since everyone heard about the accident. Astrid admired his strength to show his face in public after such events and that just happened to be the thing Astrid admired most about Hiccup.

His personal strength.

He always managed to put on a brave face whenever he does something...Hiccup like.

As Astrid his behind the tree with her back against the bark, panting with adrenaline of almost being caught, she couldn't help but like the feeling that coursed through her at that moment. She just wanted to feel more of it!

However her curiosity was far greater than her need for adrenaline.

With a deep breath she slowly turned around to take in the scene before her.

She quickly brought a hand up to her south to smother in the laughter that wanted to escape.

There was Chief Stock standing besides the pond, with his hand to his face as he shook his head. Not too far was Hiccup looking for something Astrid couldn't for the life of her figure it out.

Finally after a couple of moments Chief Stock removed his hand from his face, gave one more look at Hiccup, sigh, and then her turn back to the pond, no doubt back to fish since he figured Hiccup was a lost cause in teaching the art of fishing to. At least that what she thought Chief Stoick was trying to do.

Astrid continued to watch Hiccup look under rocks, through some of the bushes that surrounded the pond, behind trees and each time he did so he always turned away with a look of disappointment for a short second before he suddenly brightened up and went to search in a different place.

After some time Astrid looked to the sky and saw it darkened and came to the realization she had to go before her parents noticed she was gone...or to yell at her for going into the woods as a free dragon snack.

Slowly she backed away but she wasn't as good as sneaking back then so naturally she stepped on a twig that snapped beneath her foot and causing her to freeze completely now utterly terrified.

Thank the lords Chief Stoick was too busy fishing to pay attention to her.

Unfortunately Hiccup heard it snapped his attention to where the sound came from.

Astrid never noticed he was only a short distance away from her.

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Astrid couldn't help but silently beg him not to tell his father, if he found out she's out here she'll be grounded for sure for wanting to be a dragon's lunch or something.

"Hiccup everything okay?"

Now Astrid was completely terrified. It seems the fish weren't much of a distraction for Chief Stoick to realize his son was standing with his back to his father; luckily Astrid was still hidden by the tree as Hiccup looked at her in some sort of trance to the side.

She really prayed he wouldn't rat her up to his father.

Something on her face (most likely the terrified look on her face) caused Hiccup to smile shortly at her before mouthing 'Go' to her.

She didn't need to be told twice. She quickly and as silently as she could sprint from that place and back to she came from.

As she did so she heard him answer his father back.

"No dad everything's fine I just thought I found a troll"

That's what he was doing! Searching for trolls! They don't even exist, although Gobber would say otherwise. But seriously he was doing something as stu- wait...its Hiccup she's talking about. Honestly she shouldn't have been so surprised he was doing something like that.

She knelt down besides a rock some distance from where she originally was. She saw Hiccup stare ahead from him but he seemed to not see her, she watched him shocked on how he could've told his father about her and gets her in trouble and yet he didn't.

Why?

Too soon he turned away and walked to where Astrid could no longer see him.

She took one more deep breath before she sprinted off towards the village making a mental note never to go anywhere near a pond again.

But even she couldn't smack the smile on her face.

Thank the Gods her parents didn't notice their daughter missing and she easily slipped into some boring conversation with other girls with the village that Astrid didn't bother in paying any attention to.

She just couldn't get the strange boy out of her mind.

For the first time in her life she felt grateful to someone, something was rare since she was prideful.

She didn't understand why he didn't rest her put to his father. Truth was she didn't understand anything about Hiccup.

She looked up from the girls towards from where she came from the forest and saw that Chief Stoick and Hiccup were arriving. Chief Stick had this look she recognized as disappointment and Hiccup had this look that resembled one of shame. Looks like he didn't find a troll. Shame, he was trying so hard.

She saw how Hiccup walked, he walked as if he was dreading arriving into the Tribe village. She understood why, quickly.

The tribe kid's immediately stopped and began whispering.

She saw the way in how Hiccup's face dropped into one of sadness and shame as he walked through the village alone, since Chief Stoick stopped. Talk to Gobber and some of the other older members of the tribe

She saw how he looked hurt by the insults that flew his way by the kids.

For the first time ever she wanted to go up to him and make him feel better, to see him smile like how he was smiling when he was hunting trolls in the forest.

Within a single second Astrid saw him run away from the kids and ran to where she knew he lived.

Angrily she turned to the side and saw Snotlout, laughing, no doubt he was the one that started the whole insult thing towards Hiccup. She hosted him even more. Hiccup was his cousin for Odin's sake! Didn't he care for his cousin? Maybe just enough to stop picking on him. Apparently not, that stupid snob.

She walked up to him and promptly punched his arm making him yell out in pain, clutching his arm.

"That's for insulting Hiccup," She told him angrily before she kneed him the groin making him double over in pain.

"And that's for everything else you made him go through," Astrid told him before she ran in the direction the boy ran in.

As she ran she couldn't help but think why she did what she just did. She defended Hiccup. Why would she defend him? She wasn't going to lie it felt good standing up for him, maybe it was her way of thanking him for not ratting her out to his father or anyone else, even if he doesn't know what she just did for him.

She followed him to where she knew he was at.

His house.

The door was slightly opened having been slammed to hard for it to shut properly, strange considering his strength, maybe he only expressed it through his emotions.

Sobbing could be heard from within the house and as Astrid pressed her ear to the open door she heard him muttering through his sobbing. Whatever he was muttering Astrid wasn't able to hear thanks to the sobbing.

Again for the first time she felt horrible.

She didn't understand why anyone would pick on Hiccup. Sure he caused a lot of problems for the village and destroyed a lot of things but that wasn't an excuse as to why they would pick on him. He gave them no good excuse for doing all those horrible things to him. He never bothered anyone. He respected people enough not to bother them when he knew they didn't want to be bothered.

He was loyal considering he didn't rat her out.

He was different than any other Viking but to be honest, the tribe needed more of...Hiccup.

More people who were loyal, sweet, kind, respectful, smart, creative (considering he invented some strange machines to trap dragons, they never worked, they always ended up knocking another Viking unconscious, which Astrid found hilarious), and he was always putting on a brave face even though he was feeling so something else.

He was an example to flow.

And so because she knew he would've given her space if he ever found her like that (though maybe she would've punched him) she moved age from the door and moved back towards the adults and kids.

As she walked she silently made a vow to herself: she will never take place in teasing, insulting, or pranking Hiccup in her life, instead she would (when he isn't around) defend him.

And she never did take place in bothering him.

All because she just couldn't stand being the reason on why he didn't smile...after the way she saw him smile while he was out hunting trolls by the pond she found his smile to be adorable and something she wanted to see more on his face. It made him look happier and it was again something she want to see more since he always looked sad.

No matter how many times she told herself that he deserved being teased for being...Hiccup, but deep inside she knew that no one deserved to be treated like a disappointed, no one. Least of all someone like Hiccup who just wanted to fit in, to be a viking like the rest of them. He wanted to be accepted by the adults, by the children, by the tribe...by his father.

Astrid saw the way in how Hiccup always tried to be brave even if he was terrified, like how he worked extra hard in the shop with Gobber to make the weapons sharper and better (even if it causes a struggle for the boy), how he always tried his best to help during the raids (again even if he almost kills himself by trying to bring down a dragon), but most of all when he invents crazy inventions in a way to make the viking way killing dragons easier. Sadly it almost ends with Chled Stoick yelling st Hiccup to stop being so Hiccup and star acting more like a viking. Or it ends with Hiccup being almost eaten by a dragon (the Monstrous Nightmare have a special part in their hearts for Hiccup since they go for him when they raid...how he manages to get a Monstrous Nightmare to go only after him when barely other dragons go after him is beyond her. Maybe they just want to taste him since he looks so...edible).

She knows that deep inside Hiccup is a different person than anyone she has ever met. She knows he doesn't get his personality from his father since he doesn't go all 'I'm gonna kill you dragon for stealing my extra large meat bowl and leaving me with a dancing fish belly!'. Maybe he gets it from his mother, not that Astrid has anything else to back up this theory since she has never met Hicccup's mother for she disappeared when he was just a baby.

Aand its because of all of this she doesn't mess with him like the other kids do (okay maybe she will in the future but only if he irritates her beyond Snoutlot behavior, or if she finds no both way to protect him, after all the only way to protect someone without them knowing is to scare them away before they get hurt, or in Hiccup's case eaten by the lovely Monstrous Nightmare that so desperately want to taste a Hiccup..maybe they'll get hiccups afterwords).

What surprised her the most was just how fast she grew to care and want to protect the boy. How much she began noticing him because before she didn't even give him a second thought even if he just so happened to become a tooth pick for the dragons. She wouldn't care if he dies (okay maybe she'll mourn him but only for a few days) but now... now she didn't, no couldn't think about him being dead. Before she thought him a nuisance and now she thinks he's special, that he was a one of a kind viking that hasn't existed for about 300 years.

At first Astrid didn't understand that sudden need to protect, care, and support Hiccup and these feelings confused her beyond reason and that led her to slightly distance herself from the boy, but that didn't stop her from beating up the kids that picked on him, of course she did it when he wasn't around. She didn't want him to know he had someone behind his back. For some reason she felt his personlality might change and even back then she admitted only to herself that she did like that he was a gratuitous loser. Besides she liked sticking up for him when he doesn't know she felt like she was helping him since it did down the number of insults, pranks, and other stuff the kids did to him. Like she said she didn't understand the sudden cure in her behavoir but after some thinking in the woods a few months after she started standing up for Hiccup behind his back she knew what led her to become protective of the boy the tribe found annoying and the dragons found tasty. She just needed time. No.

All she needed was to see him smile while he did something so Hiccup like.

Go Troll Hunting

Maybe some day in the future she'll work up the courage to ask him to take her with him the next time he goes. It looked interesting enough. Fun enough even.

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AN: Yep my first How To Train Your Dragon one shot though if people want I might add a sequel. Honestly I don't know where this came from I jus watched the first movie and thought how cute would it be if Astrid found Hiccup troll hunting while he was with his father who tries (and failed) to teach him to fish. I also wondered why Astrid never bothered him in the level the others did, only if he got in her way that is, and I also wondered what if she had feeling for him even before the movie took place but she just hid it better than him and well this was born.


End file.
